Key-fastener.



B. T. PETTY.

KEY FASTENER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. I5. 1915.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

UNITED STATES OFFICE.

BYRON T. PETTY,- OF SHILLINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

KEY-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed February 15,1915. Serial No. 8,269.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BYRON T. Pn'rrY, a citizen of the United States, residing. at Shillington, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Key- Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention contemplates an improved key fastener and has as its primary object may be readily attached to any conventional type of door key without the necessity of structural change therein and which will also furnish an identifying means for the key.

A still further object of the invention is to provide: an improved device of this character adapted to yieldably engage the key for holding the fastener incooperating relation thereto, for the purpose above set forth and to also provide an article which I will be exceedingly slmple in construction, to thus produce a very desirable article of manufacture.

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds and in thedraw ings wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figiue l is a front elevation showing my improved key fastener applied in operativeposition to a=convent1onal type of key lock,the 1oclr being shown in position upon-a door for the purposes of illustration,-

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the fastener detached, Fig.3 is a fragmentary elevation showing the manner in which the fastener is adapted to'engage a door key, Fig. 4:- isa fragmentaryside elevetion of the fastener showing themountingof the key engaging hook thereof, and Fig, 5- is a perspective view showing the" device as being; entirely constructed of wire. Coming now to more particularly describe the invention, my improved key fastener 1ncludes a body portion 10 which is preferably formed from a single piece of resilient sheet metal, although it is to be understood, that any other suitable material may be employed. As best illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the body portion 10 is of oblong configuration and is provided with rounded terminals, one terminal thereof being. preferably slightly reduced as shown.

Mounted upon the body portion 10 at the reduced terminal thereof, is a longitu-' dinally enftendi'ng substantially U-shapedkey engaging member 11. The key engaging member 11 is preferably formed from a single length of suitable resilient wire bent intermediate its ends to provide a substan-' tially V-shaped hook 12 having outwardly divergingside portions 13. At the outer extremities of the side, portions 13, the free extremities of the wire are bent at an acute angle to provide arms 14 which extend in spaced relation laterally upon one side of the hook 12 longitudinally thereof toward the closed end of the hook. The arms 14:,- it will'be' observed, extend in substantial'parallel relation to each other, and, at their upper extremities, are passed through suitable openings formed in the adjacent terminal of the body portion 10, being rebent at their ends,=as shown at 15 to be secured thereto, the terminals 15 of the arms seating flatly against the adjacent face of the body portion.

It will now be noted" that the side por tions 13 of the hook 12 converge upwardly between the arms 1% toward the body portion 10 and incline laterally away from the said arms from the loops 16 connecting the side portions with the arms 14, toward the free end of the hook, the free end of the hook being disposed medially of the arms. The upper free end of the hook 12 pref-- erably terminates in a loop as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing with the adjacent ends of the side portions 13' extending in substantial parallel spaced relation, as shown at 17, the side portions of the hook providing gripping members, disposed to be compressed laterally toward each other member 11 is adapted to engage the eye 20 'of the key for holding the fastener in op-- the eye 20 0f seating against vide oppositely disposed and laterally projecting shoulders 18. The purpose of this construction will presently appear.

Cotiperating with my improved key fastener, is an open ring 19, which may be of any suitable character and which is normally carried by the key engaging member 11 as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The ring 19 is adapted to engage the eye 20 of the key 21 conventionally shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, in a manner which will be readily understood, for operatively connecting the fastener with the key, and in Fig. 1, I have illustrated the mannor in which my improved device is adapted to cooperate with the key and with the door knob of the lock in which the key is positioned for holding the key stationary within. the lock and thus prevent the release of the lock bolt from the exterior of the door to which the lock is applied.

In Fig. 1, a conventional form. of lock is illustrated at 22, the lock being provided with a knob :23 and adapted tooperatively receive the'key 21 in the usual manner as shown therein, the key, when in position within the lock, being disposed in substanial alineinent withthe knob23.

Normally, my improved key fastener will be freely connected with the key 21 through the medium of the ring 19 and it will be.

noted that the body portion 10 of the fastener is adapted to receive advertising matter and suitable indicia providing an identication of the key to which the paddle is attached. The key 21 is inserted in the lock thrown to shown in Fig. l of the drawings. Thekey engaging member 11 the key as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, with the body portion 10 of the fastener extending upwardly to travel in a path obstructed by the shank of the knob 23, the said body portion normally one side edge with the said shank. By this arrangement, the fastener Wlll, through the engagement of the body portion 10 thereof with the knob, prevent the movement of the key to release the bolt of the lock and will also, as will be obvious, prevent the retrograde movement of the key, through tampering with the bolt of the look from the exterior of the door.

It will thus be seen thatmy device provides a very simple and efficient means for locking the key in what will be termed operative position or in the position wherein the bolt of the lock is thrown to engage the keeper 24.

Particular attention is now directed .to the manner in which the key engaging that shown in F ig. 2 of the is then engaged with the lock and engaging at erative position as above referred to,- and 1 in this connection, reference will be had to Fig. 3 of the drawings. It will be noted that the book 12 is inserted through the eye the key at one end thereof with the arms 1% bearingupon one side of the eye and the side portions 13 of the hook bear ing upon the opposite side thereof. It will be also noted that when thus en a 'ed with the key, the side portions 13 will be de flected laterally away from the arms 14 so that the said side portions and the arms 14: will engage against opposite sides of the; eye with the adjacent portions of *the eye seating within the loops 16 and with the shoulders 18 bearing laterally over the end of the eye. To disengage the member 11, from the eye of the key, it will simply benecessary to press downwardly upon the: body portion 10 to cause the shoulders 18 to ride over the end. portion of the eye.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings, I have disclosed a slight modification of the invention wherein the entire device is formed from:

a single length of suitable resilient wire and terminal 30 and a key engagingmember. '81,

carried by said terminal. This form of the invention is very similar in construction to drawings, the wire being bent to provide the substantiallyoblong body portion 10 with the portions thereof providing the reduced terminal 30 forming arms similar to the arms 141 of the preferred form of the invention. It will be noted that the key engaging member 31 is in the form of a hook similar in construction to the hook 12 and is similarlyarranged with reference to the portions of v the wire providing and corresponding 31 being connected by loops 32 similar'to the loop 16 and having its side portions provided intermediate their length, with laterally extending shoul-' ders 33 similar to the shoulders 18. In this form of the invention, the body portion .10 is-also provided with a ring 19 wheroby'it may be attached to the eye 20 of the key. The device is: to be connectedto the said eye in the same manner as previously de scribed with reference to.- the preferred form of the invention and is to be used in a similar manner for holding the key in operative position. r

It will therefore be seen that I provide a very simple and eflicientconstruction for the purpose set forth which will be .thore oughly efficient in use and which will fornish a very desirable article of manufacture.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire tosecureby, Letters Pat' ent is 1 1. A'device of the characterdescribed in-. cluding an identifying taghaving a rela-.

the reduced terminal 30 ice to thearms 1-1, the'hook tothe body portion .10'

tively thin elongated body portion of unbroken area, and a key engaging member carried by the body portion, the said key engaging member being formed from a single length of material bent intermediate its ends to provide a hook having spaced sides converging toward the free end of the hook and extending to provide arms secured to one end of the body portion, the said sides being offset intermediate their ends to provide a reduced terminal at the outer end of the hook, the hook being presented toward the body portion and being disposed in a plane upon one side of the plane of said arms in coacting relation thereto, the reduced terminal of the hook being adapted to direct the sides into engagement with the eye of a key to be clamped between the sides and the said arms with the body portion supported to engage the shank of a lock knob upon the turning movement of the key within the lock.

2. A device of the character described including a body portion, and a key engagthe said sides disposed in a plane upon one side of the plane of the arms in coacting relation thereto, the sides being offset intermediate their ends to provide a reduced terminal at the outer end of the hook, the hook being presented toward the body portion and the reduced terminal thereof being adapted to direct the sides into the eye of a key to be clamped between the said sides and the said arms with the body portion supported to engage the shank of a lock knob upon the turning movement of the key within the look.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. in presence of two witnesses.

S. F. BIEI-IL, Gno. A. RICK Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

